Stefan Zucker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born in 1949, American Stefan Zucker is a self-described "opera fanatic" and expert on Italian opera and opera singers, who was listed in the 1980 Guinness Book of Records as the "world's highest tenor" for having hit and sustained an A above high C for 3.8 seconds at The Town Hall in New York City on September 12, 1972.

Mr. Zucker was the editor of Opera Fanatic magazine and hosted the radio interview program "Opera Fanatic". In the 1998 documentary film of the same name, Mr. Zucker travels around Italy interviewing opera divas from the 1950s. His interview style and deportment in the film has been much criticized, although his radio show is remembered fondly for its in-depth discussions, diva dishing and many famous singers interviewed, including Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, Alfredo Kraus and Jerome Hines. Mr. Zucker has contributed to the International Dictionary of Opera, Opera News, American Record Guide, The Opera Quarterly, Professione Musica and Globe & Mail, among others.

After Columbia University, the owner of WKCR-FM radio, dropped Mr. Zucker as the host of "Opera Fanatic" in 1994, he turned his efforts to preserving early opera recordings and films through his nonprofit Bel Canto Society. He talks and sings in the film series "The Tenors of the 78 Era" and has lectured at The Mannes College of Music in New York City.

Mr. Zucker, along with his mother, soprano Rosina Wolf, claim to be the last in line of the method of singing style taught by Rubini. Many people have criticized Mr. Zucker's singing, which has a pronounced "bleat" sound. The critic Donal Henahan wrote in The New York Times, reviewing Mr. Zucker in a performance of Bellini's opera Adelson e Salvini that his high notes were like "the scratching of a fingernail on a blackboard." Mr. Zucker and his mother produced the first performance of the fourth and final version (1829) of that opera.